Dirt trap and strainer for locomotive-tank connections.



W. F. POTTS. I DIRT TRAP AND STRAINER FOR LOCOMOTIVE TANK CONNECTIONS.

Patented Jan. 18, 1916 APPLlCATlON FILED JUNE 17, 1914.

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ATTORNEY.

THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH c0., WASHINGTON, D. C.

WILLIAM F. POTTS, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

DIRT TRAP ANI) STRAINER FOR LOOOMOTIVE-TANK CONNECTIONS.

Specification of Letters-Patent.

Patented J an. 18, 1916.

Applicationfiled June 1'7, 1914. Serial No. 845,614.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VVILLLAM F. Por'rs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Dirt Traps and Strainers for Locomotive-Tank Connections, of which the following isa specification.

My invention relates to improvements in dirt traps and strainers for locomotive tank connections.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide novel means for securing a closure to an opening in a conductor, such as a water pipe.

In the usual tank connections for locomotives, a clean-out opening is provided, and a screen is adapted to extend across the water pipe of said connection and which is removable therefrom through said clean-out opening. In such structures, the screen after its removal in the cleaning operation, is sometimes accidentally left out when the closure is replaced which normally covers the clean-out opening. 1

Another object of my invention is to prevent the accidental leaving out of the screen after a cleaning out operation.

A further object of my invention is to provide novel means by which the closure for the clean-out opening retains the screen in operative position, when the closure is in the closed position.

Other novel features of my invention are hereinafter fullydescribed and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate the preferred embodiment of my invention, Figure l is a longitudinal sectional view on the line 11 of Fig.2, showing the screen in the operative position and the closure in the closed position. is a bottom view of what is shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 33 of Fig. 1. Fig. i isa cross section on the line H of Fig.1. Fig. 5 is asectional view on the line 55. of Fig. 1.

Similar reference characters designate similar parts in the different views.

1 designates a tubular conductor consisting of a pipe having an interiorly screwthreaded end 2 which is ordinarily connected to the supply pipe of a lOCOHlOtlVG boiler. The other end of the conductor 1 is externallyscrew-threaded and is usually connected by a coupling '3 with a pipe it which leads to the locomotive tender.

The conductor 1 isprov'ided with a lateral opening 5, located preferably at the under side of said conductor, and which is adapted to be normally closed by a closure 6, which in the closed position, is adapted to hold a screen 7 in a seat 8 provided for it on the inner side of the conductor 1. Said screen is connected to a connecting device, preferably fieXible, said device being preferably a chain 9, one end of which is connected to the interior of the conductor 1, preferably to the closure 6, which forms a partof the wall thereof.

For holding the closure 6 closed, acurved member 10 is'pivoted atone end by pin 11, preferably a cotterpin, which is mounted in holes provided in twoears 12, which project downwardly from the under side of the conductor 1 at one side of the opening At the other side of the opening 5, the under side of the conductor 1 is provided with two ears 13 provided with slots 14. which are adapted to register with a slot 15, which is provided in the member 10 adjacent to the free end thereof. A wedge 16 is adapted for insertion through the slots lfl and 15, for holding the member 10 in the closed position shown in Fig. 1. The member '10 is adapted to hold the closure (3 in the closed position, and is preferably piw o ted to said closure by a cotter pin 17.

The wedge 16 is provided with a plurality of transverse holesl8 the-rethrough, which are located at different distances from the ends of the wedge. Afterflthe wedge has been inserted in the operative position, shown in Fig. 2, a cotter pin 19 is inserted in one of the holes 18 to pre 'ent accidental detachment f the wedge, p

Two inclined flanges 20 are provided respectively on opposite inner side walls of the conductor 1 and extend from the right side of the opening 5, as viewed in Fig- 1,,toward the upper end of the seat 58.. The flanges 20 serve to guide the upper-end of the screen 7 into the seat 8 when the'screen is inserted through the opening The lower end of the screen 7 is retained in .position by the closure 6.

In operating the invention, the cotter pin 19 is removed and the wedge 1 6 withdrawn,

thereby. permitting the member -10 to swing downwardly. carrying with it'th'ef closure 6,!

which pulls the screen 7 downwardly by means of the chain 9. After the dirt has been removed from the conductor through j position and the wedge 16 is driven homethrough the slots 14 and 15. The cotter pin 19 is then inserted in one of the holes 18.

With my invention it is impossible to seat the closure 6, unless the screen and chain 9 have been inserted through the opening 5. The screen 7 can, therefore, not be accidentally left out of the conductor 1. 1

By being attached to theclosure 6 by the chain 9, the screen 7 is forcibly withdrawn from its seat when the closure is removed.

It will be noted, as shown in Fig. 1, that theopening 5, in the under'sideof the conductor 1 is'ina depression, which'is just below or at thetank side of the screen 7 By reason of this construction, the dirt which is carried upwardly toward the boiler from the hose 4 will be deposited in the clepression, in which is placed thev closure 6, some of the dirt also being deposited on the tank side of the screen 7.

When the pumping operation ceases, the water which is in the conductor 1 at the upper or boiler side of the screen 7, will rush sion which contains said closure.

I do not limit my invention to the structure shown and described, as modifications, within the scope of the appended claims, may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A dirt trap and strainer comprising a tubular conductor having a lateral clean out opening and a removable closure for said opening, a screen adapted to extend interiorly across said conductor and removable through said opening, and a connecting device secured to said screen and to the inner side of said conductor, and serving to hold the screen attached to the conductor when the screen has been removed therefrom.

2. Adirt trap and strainer comprising a 1 tubular conductor having a lateral cleanout opening and a removable closure for said opening, a screen adapted to extend interiorly across said conductor and removable through said opening, and a flexible device secured to the inner side of said conductor and to said screen. Y

3. A dirt trap-and strainer comprisinga tubular conductor having a lateral cleanout opening and a removable, closure for said opening, a screen adapted to'extend interiorly across said conductor and removable through said opening, and a connecting device secured' to said screen and said closure, and serving to holdthe screen attached to l the conductor when the screen has been removed therefrom.

4. A dirt trap and strainer comprising a tubular conductor having a lateral cleanout opening and a removable closure for said opening, a screen adapted to extend interiorly across said conductor and removable through said opening, and a flexible device secured to said closure and to said screen.

5. A dirt trap and strainer comprising a tubular conductor having a seat and pro vided with a lateral clean-out opening and ,a removable closure for saidopening, a screen adapted to extend across said conductor and rest in said seat, and removable through said opening, and held in said seat, by said closure when the latter is in the closed position, and a connecting device secured tov said screen and to the inner side of said conductor and serving to hold the screen at- A vided with a lateral clean-outopening and a removable closure for said opening, a screen adapted to extend across said conductorand removable through said opening, and held in said seat by said closure when the latter is in the closed position, and a flexible device secured to said screen'and to the inner side 7 of said conductor.

- 7. A dirt trap and strainer comprising a tubular conductor having a seat and provided with a lateral clean-out opening and a removable closure for said opening, a screen adapted to extend across said conductor and removable through said opening, and held in said seat by said closure when the latter is in the closed position,-and a connecting device secured to said screen and to said closure and serving to hold the screen attached to the conductor when the screen has been removed therefrom.

8. A dirt trap and strainer comprising a tubular conductor having a seat and provided with a lateral clean-out opening and a removable closure for said opening, a' screen adapted to extend across said conductor and removable through said opening, and held in said seat by said closure when the latter is. in the closed position, and a flexible device secured to said screen and to said closure.

9. A dirt trap and strainer comprising a tubular conductor having a lateral cleanout opening and a pivoted closure therefor, a screen adapted to extend interiorly across said conductor and removable through said opening, and a device connecting said screen and closure and having means for holding the screen attached to the conductor when the screen has been removed therefrom.

10. A dirt trap and strainer comprising a tubular conductor having a lateral cleanout opening and a pivoted closure therefor, a screen adapted to extend interiorly across said conductor and removable through said opening, and a flexible device connecting 10 said screen and closure for holding the screen permanently attached to said conductor.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

\VILLIAH F. POTTS.

Witnesses:

J. C. IRWIN, WARREN D. Honsn.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

